BlackBerry move away from consumers unlikely to stem decline

TORONTO, Sept 23 (Reuters) - BlackBerry Ltd's plan
to retreat from the consumer market in favor of its traditional
strength serving businesses and governments is widely seen as a
desperate move that industry watchers warn will only accelerate
its downward spiral.

The strategic shift and dramatic restructuring are fueling
fears about BlackBerry's long-term viability. The uncertainty
created could easily push a growing number of its telecom
partners, business customers and consumers to abandon the
platform.

"Perception is nine tenths of reality and if customer and
supplier confidence continues to fall it doesn't matter how much
cash they have on the balance sheet. Things could get worse,"
said GMP Securities analyst Deepak Kaushal.

The Canadian smartphone maker, once the leader in wireless
email, announced the change in focus on Friday afternoon when it
also said it will report a quarterly loss of close to $1 billion
and slash more than a third of its workforce.

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In response to queries about its future sales strategy
BlackBerry said on Sunday it would provide more detail when it
announces quarterly earnings on Sept. 27.

On Friday, Chief Executive Thorsten Heins said the strategic
shift to focus on so-called enterprise customers would play to
the company's strengths in security and reliability.
Continued...